Provenance

The Coats Family Cellar is arguably the most prestigious fine wine collection ever offered in South Africa. It contains a deep collection of the worlds finest, most sought-after wines, spanning over 150 years. Collected over many decades, the cellar was imported from Ireland to South Africa via reefer. Each bottle within the Coats Family Cellar was authenticated by Michael Egan in August 2022 and given an ID number for tracking.

Michael Egan is a world-expert in fine and rare wines with more than thirty five years of experience. He was the principal expert for the plaintiff in the two major wine counterfeiting trials in Koch v. Eric Greenberg and United States v. Rudy Kurniawan, both of which occurred in 2013.

Along with Michael Egan, the Strauss & Co Fine Wine team have tasted extensively through the cellar and are confident of the wine storage and hence quality. The entire collection is currently stored at Wine Cellar.

Critics Ratings

‘Looks quite evolved and not especially deep. Light and fragrant but certainly quite light bodied. Dusty finish. Lovely now if you like grace. Graphite again. At its peak, surely? Very appetising. Very vigorous. Transparent and it rather recalls the 2007 in its elegance. But drink it, don't keep it!’ - Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 18/20 (Feb 2010)

‘The 1995 Bolgheri Sassicaia still holds court, thank you very much. It reminds me of a grande dame, or a woman of influence and sophistication who lights up the room thanks to her expertly delivered, albeit antiquated charm. The wine's aged evolution is evident as the bouquet releases sure aromas of dried fruit, old spice, saffron and cola. I can't say the aromas reach perfect equilibrium, because they don't. There is a muddled fruit note in there too that subtracts from its purity. The mouthfeel is svelte and lean with finely polished and silky tannins. In fact, the wine's texture shows precision and elegance. Pretty menthol notes appear on the long finish.’ - Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, 91/100 (Apr 2017)

‘Best Sassicaia since the '90. Rich in currant, blackberry, dried herbs and tanned leather on the nose and palate. Medium- to full-bodied, with very soft yet fine tannins and a long, caressing finish. Hard to resist now. Best after 1999.’ - Wine Spectator, 90/100 (Dec 1998)